“Would it actually matter to the aiji-dowager, paidhi-aiji?”
“Frankly, no, nandi. If we achieve peace, that question becomes irrelevant—unless the answer is no.”
Machigi’s eyes had flickered through the convolutions of that statement—until the last. Then the grim smile came back.
“The answer isno,” Machigi said. “We were surprised at the news. We are attempting to discover who did plan it, and Tabini-aiji will not have to trouble himself to deal with it.”
One yes, one no. The odds Machigi was dealing in the truth—rose.
“May one then relay to the dowager that she was entirely right?”
“Let her worry,” Machigi said. “When you next speak to her, you officially speak under our man’chi. Is that not your duty?”
Speak under our man’chi. Hell! Speak as Machigi’s representative? He’d promised it—but that wasn’t entirely what Machigi meant.
The shift of man’chi Machigi invoked was the old way. There’d been an institution among atevi a long time ago, before the aishidi’tatc a way of settling things, a specialized negotiator. The white ribbon had gotten to mean the paidhi-aiji, the human interpreter’s unique badge of office, over the last couple of centuries. And he’d represented both sides of the human-atevidividec until it just wasn’t that divided, nowadays.
But he did wear the white ribbon. He’d been sent into the house of an enemy—and Machigi, out of a district that hadn’t, over all, ever adopted Ragi ways, any more than Ilisidi’s East had ever done, had just called him on it.
He’d probably, he thought, turned a shade of white.
“One is honored by your suggestion,” he said, trying to appear unruffled, and told himself it was actually encouraging that Machigi was willing to consider him in the mediator’s rolec a role in which he had some protection—as long as Machigi was willing to play by the ancient book, and so long as the negotiations didn’t collapse.
Mortality among ancient negotiators had been tolerably high as one party or other decided to terminate the negotiations— and terminate the negotiator, who now knew too much—all in one stroke. Ancient rulers had used to saddle spare relatives and very old courtiers with that duty.
And of alllords he could ever represent, Machigi of the Tai-sigin Marid was not at the top of his preferences.
“It is not a forgotten custom in the Marid.”
“So—yes. If you have that confidence in me, nandi, send me to Najida, and I shall state your positions to the dowager and come back again with precise offers.”
Machigi pursed his lips slightly. “Not yet. Not yet, nand’ paidhi. Your continued presence is, one trusts, no great inconvenience to anyone at this moment.”
Well, he was still stuck. But they were still being polite. He assumed a pleasant expression and inclined his head in calm acceptance. “I am willing,” he said, and decided to go for all else he could get. “And in no hurry. Though continued phone contact with Najida would be a decided convenience. Most particularly, I would wish to send the bus back to Targai. It is very cramped quarters for them and cannot be pleasant.”
“We have offered local accommodation for those aboard.”
Of course Machigi had. “Indeed,” Bren said, “but they are the aiji’s and not directly under my command while I am separate from them. I am, quite frankly, interested in preventing any misunderstanding out there. I would like to send everyone back except myself and my personal guard. One has utmost confidence in your hospitality—and I hope not to wreck these negotiations on a missed communication. Let us clear the area of all persons who might make a mistake.”
Machigi smiled, and this time a little of it did reach the eyes. “We both understand.”
“Understand me, nandi, that I am quite serious in my representations to you. You have an opportunity that has not existed for the last two hundred years.”
“Since we were robbed of the west coast, in fact.”
“What advantage, nandi, to hold the west coast at continual warfare with the center and the West andthe station aloft— when you have a fair offer of access to the East, the untrammeled freedom of the seas, anda presence on the station? There is every advantage in that agreement. There is nothingheld back from you.”
“Except the west coast.”
“It is smallcompared to the scope you can have elsewhere.”
“Little profit to me in exposing myself to assassination by your allies.”
“We can, nandi, get past the infelicitous history of relations, even recent ones, even the matter between you and Lord Geigi, if we may be specific. We have his nephew Baiji in custody. You have no further use for him, one assumes, but the dowager has—in terms of the bloodline he carries and in terms of her concern for Lord Geigi. So it would be convenient for Lord Geigi officially to forget Baiji’s indiscretions, which is the course one is sure he will take. He is a practical man. Besides, Lord Geigi’s primary interest is in returning to the station.”
“Out of reach and unassailable. But not incapable of Filing with the Guild.”
“His man’chi is to Tabini-aiji, and he has a strong association with the aiji-dowager and with me. He will place those interests foremost. I know him very well, nandi, and I am sure that he will decline to pursue a feud that undermines a peaceful settlement on this coast, not out of weakness but because he is a practical man.”
The hand lifted. Machigi leaned his jaw against his fist. “Go on, paidhi. Give me more of your specifics. How would you perform this wonder?”
“First among necessities, nandi, a series of moves to stabilize the situation here with the negotiations: I have stated what I would ask—freedom to communicate. Simultaneously, I would ask the dowager’s support for your continuance as lord of Taisigi clan; the dowager and the aiji in Shejidan have already made encouraging moves in that regard, in canceling one Guild action against you and working to derail the other. And, felicitous third, I would secure from you a formal agreement of association with the aiji-dowager.”
“All these airy promises do nothing for us.”
“They do a great deal, nandi. I can fairly confidently predict that Tabini-aiji would restrain any move that might unbalance your negotiations with the aiji-dowager, once underway.
Agreement with her would be a good arrangement for both sides, necessarily, understand, removing any approval from the legislaturefrom the equation.”
That got a little flicker of Machigi’s eyes.
Bren continued: “ Tabini-aijiis the one that directly controls atevi access to the station. The relationship between yourself and the aiji-dowager would urge his agreement to your access there—again, nothing the legislature has to approve. He can do it with the stroke of a pen.
Certain things can be done to build confidence on both sides.”
Machigi lifted a brow, a surprisingly boyish look.
“You have a piratical bent, yourself, paidhi-aiji.”
“The path with fewest rocks, nandi, is the fastest. And while the matter will be discussed in the legislature—nothing prevents that—the flow of trade will ease that debate. We prevent conflict—”
“Meaning I would agree not to assassinate Lord Geigi and he would agree not to assassinate me.”
“Nothing to excite comment. The less news that comes out of the arrangement at first, the faster we can move. Speed will alarm certain elements—on your side and the dowager’s, quite likely. But if we lose momentum on this, one can foresee there will be altogether too many participants in the decisions, and things will fly off in all directions. Controlled change is the purpose of my office, nandi. Nothing too fast or too slow and having everything in order and agreed before the news gets out is the best policy.”